Lawn mower with suspended ergonomic seat

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the invention provide a lawn mower including a frame, a seat or operator station, one or more handles, and a suspension unit coupled between the frame and the seat or operator station. The lawn mower can include one or more pivot members with a first portion coupled to the frame at a pivot location forward of the seat or operator station and a second portion coupled to the seat or operator station. The one or more pivot members can allow the seat or operator station and the one or more handles to move with respect to the frame while the suspension unit absorbs a portion of shock caused by riding over the uneven terrain. The seat can be positioned at least partially between a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel and at least partially along a drive axis. The seat can be declined with respect to a horizontal plane so that the operator&#39;s upper torso leans forward at an angle with respect to a vertical plane when the operator is sitting on the seat.

BACKGROUND

There has been a trend in the power lawn mower field of making ridinglawn mowers more compact and more maneuverable. However, this is oftenachieved at the expense of operator comfort.

For example, standing mowers are becoming increasingly popular. In thistype of mower, a small platform is usually provided at the rear of themower, upon which the operator stands while operating the mower. Onetypically cannot operate a standing mower for extended periods of time,because the constant standing can become very tiresome on the operator'slegs. Moreover, the standing platforms of such mowers typically do nothave any means of absorbing the shock caused by the terrain. Thus, theshock caused by any uneven terrain is borne by the operator himself,primarily in the operator's legs and back. This can lead to rapidfatigue in the operator. In some cases, standing mowers are simply notan option for individuals with back and leg-joint problems.

In addition to shock being transferred to the operator via a footplatform, shock may also be transferred from the mower control, such asa steering wheel or a handlebar. Such mower controls also do not haveany means for absorbing the shock caused by uneven terrain. Instead, theshock is borne by the operator's arms, which leads to further fatigue ofthe operator.

Operator fatigue can also be an issue in seated mowers. For example,while a typical seated mower, in which the seat is located over thecutting deck, may have a spring-supported seat, neither the footplatform nor the mower control provide any relief from the vibrationscaused by the terrain or the engine. Moreover, the space occupied by theoperator's legs is typically wide open, such that the operator's legstend to bounce from side to side, particularly when traveling over roughterrain or on a side-hill incline.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the invention provide a lawn mower including aframe, a seat or operator station that supports at least a portion ofthe operator's body weight, one or more handles coupled to the seat oroperator station, and a suspension unit coupled between the frame andthe seat or operator station. The lawn mower can also include one ormore pivot members with a first portion coupled to the frame at a pivotlocation forward of the seat or operator station and a second portioncoupled to the seat or operator station. The one or more pivot memberscan allow the seat or operator station and the one or more handles tomove with respect to the frame while the suspension unit absorbs aportion of shock caused by riding over the uneven terrain.

In some embodiments of the invention, the lawn mower can include a framelocated within a substantially horizontal plane and a first drive wheeland a second drive wheel positioned along a drive axis that is locatedwithin a substantially vertical plane. The lawn mower can include a seatpositioned at least partially between the first drive wheel and thesecond drive wheel and at least partially along the drive axis. The seatcan include a rear portion positioned higher than a front portion inorder to be declined with respect to the horizontal plane so that theoperator's upper torso leans forward at an angle with respect to thevertical plane when the operator is sitting on the seat. In someembodiments, the lawn mower can also include one or more leg supportsthat are angled with respect to the horizontal plane so that a portionof the operator's body weight is supported by the one or more legsupports when the operator is sitting on the seat and when theoperator's legs contact the one or more leg supports. In someembodiments, the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel areindependently controlled to provide a substantially zero-turn radius forthe lawn mower.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a mower according to oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the mower of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the mower of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the mower of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the mower of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the mower of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is another rear perspective view of the mower of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is another side view of the mower of FIG. 1 taken along line 8-8of FIG. 4 with an operator in position to operate the mower.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a speed control lever and handlecontrols according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a front view of the speed control lever and handle controlsof FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 a side view of the speed control lever and handle controls ofFIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the following figures.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood thatthe phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including,” “comprising,” “having” and variations thereof herein ismeant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereofas well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, theterms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variationsthereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirectmountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected”and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connectionsor couplings.

FIGS. 1-8 illustrate a mower 10 according to one embodiment of theinvention. As shown in FIG. 1, the mower 10 includes a frame 11, a leftfront wheel 12, a right front wheel 14, a left rear drive wheel 16, anda right rear drive wheel 18. The mower 10 includes a cutting deck 20which can be positioned behind the front wheels 12, 14 and in front ofthe rear drive wheels 16, 18. The mower 10 can include a left handle bar22 and a right handle bar 24. The mower 10 can include a left handlecontrol 23 and a right handle control 25 for controlling the left/rightdirection, the forward/reverse direction, and/or the braking of the reardrive wheels 16, 18. The left handle control 23 can move independentlyof the right handle control 25. In some embodiments, the left and righthandle controls 23, 25 can be moved between forward, neutral, andreverse positions to control the state of the mower's transmission.

As also shown in FIG. 1, the mower 10 includes an engine 30 which can bemounted to an engine deck 32 or otherwise suitably mounted to the frame11. The mower 10 also includes a suitable transmission, such as twohydrostatic pumps 34 which can be mounted to a pump deck 36. In oneembodiment, the pump deck 36 is a separate deck from the engine deck 32.In some embodiments, the hydrostatic pumps 34 can independently controlthe speed and direction of the rear drive wheels 16, 18. For example,each hydrostatic pump 34 can include its own drive axle corresponding toone of the rear drive wheels 16, 18. As a result, in some embodiments,the mower 10 does not include a common drive axle that spans the widthof the mower 10 between the rear drive wheels 16, 18. However, the mower10 can include a pump axle 27 (as shown in FIGS. 5, 7, and 8) coupledindirectly through linkages to the hydrostatic pumps 34. As describedbelow, the pump axle 27 can be rotated by the operator's feet, forexample to control the speed of the mower 10 and/or to return thetransmission to neutral, in some embodiments. As further shown in FIG.1, a rear axis 28 can be drawn between hubs 29 of the rear drive wheels16, 18.

In some embodiments of the invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the mower 10includes a seat 26. The seat 26 can be backless (similar to a bike orrecreational vehicle seat) or the seat 26 can include a back portion.The seat 26 can be supported by one or more seat support beams 38. Theseat support beams 38 can be coupled to a handle support beam 40. Thehandle support beam 40 can support each of the left and right handlebars 22, 24. FIG. 1 also illustrates a left pivot member 42 and a leftpivot location 44 coupled to the seat 26 as described below.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the mower 10 of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 illustrates asubstantially vertical plane 43 which can be defined to include thedrive axis 28 (as shown in FIG. 1) of the rear drive wheels 16, 18. FIG.2 also illustrates a substantially horizontal plane 45 within which atleast a portion of the frame 11 can be located. In some embodiments, atleast a portion of the seat 26 can be positioned at an angle A withrespect to the vertical plane 43 and at an angle B with respect to ahorizontal plane that is substantially parallel with the horizontalplane 45 within which the frame 11 is located. In some embodiments, theangle A can be within a range of about 45 to 85 degrees. In oneembodiment, the angle A can be within a range of about 70 to 75 degrees.In some embodiments, the complimentary angle B can be within a range ofabout 5 to 45 degrees. In one embodiment, the angle B can be within arange of about 15 to 20 degrees. In this manner, the seat 26 can includea rear portion 27 that is higher than a front portion 29. As a result,as shown in FIG. 8, the operator's upper torso can lean forward at anangle C with respect to the vertical plane 43 when the operator 80 issitting on the seat 26 and grasping the left and right handle bars 22,24. The angle C can be the same as the angle B within a range of about 5to 45 degrees or, in one embodiment, about 15 to 20 degrees.

FIGS. 2 and 8 further illustrates the compact and stable nature of themower 10. The mower 10 can be compact by including left and right handlebars 22, 24 that project forward from the vertical plane 43 and projectover at least a rear portion 31 of the engine 30 (or the hydrostaticpumps 34 depending on their location). The handle bars 22, 24 can beangled with respect to the vertical plane 43 so that the operator headclearance of the mower 10 is lower. The position of the handle bars 22,24 can also result in the operator's center of gravity beingapproximately on the vertical plane 43 or forward from the verticalplane 43, which can substantially increase stability, especially duringzero radius turns. In one embodiment, the seat 26 can be positionedbehind the vertical plane 43 but the operator's center of gravity can beon or forward from the vertical plane 43. The angle of the handle bars22, 24 can also result in the operator being able to remain seatedduring uphill operation of the mower 10 without the mower 10 tippingbackwards while climbing the hill. Due to the position of the handlebars 22, 24, the overall height H (as shown in FIG. 2) of the mower canbe about 45 inches, which is substantially lower than conventionalstanding mowers. This lower overall height can result in the operatornot having to crouch to avoid hanging obstacles, such as tree branches.The mower 10 can also be compact by including front wheels 12, 14 thatare closer to the rear drive wheels 16, 18 in the front-to-reardirection than conventional riding mowers. For example, thefront-to-rear distance D (as shown in FIG. 2) between the axis of thefront wheels 12, 14 and the axis the rear drive wheels 16, 18 can beabout 40 inches. In addition, the overall length L (as shown in FIG. 2)of the mower 10 can be about 68 inches, which is substantially shorterthan conventional riding mowers. The mower 10 can be more stable thanconventional riding or standing mowers by including at least a portionof the seat 26 within the vertical plane 43 defined by the drive axis 28so that the operator is positioned substantially within the center ofgravity of the mower 10 as the mower 10 turns. In some embodiments, themower 10 is a substantially zero-turn radius (ZTR) mower.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the mower 10 illustrating the seat supportbeams 38 and the handle support beam 40 being coupled to one or moresuspension units 50 (such as one or more hydraulic suspension units), insome embodiments of the invention. The suspension unit 50 can also becoupled to the pump axle 27, in some embodiments, as shown and describedwith respect to FIG. 7.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the mower 10 can include a left pivot member42 coupled to the frame 11 at a left pivot location 44 and a right pivotmember 46 coupled to the frame 11 at a right pivot location 48. In oneembodiment, the left and right pivot members 42, 46 can each be shapedto extend substantially horizontally and then diagonally rearward anddownward, as shown by the left pivot member 42 in FIG. 2. For example,as shown in FIG. 2, the left pivot member 42 can include a substantiallyhorizontal portion 47 and a diagonal rearward portion 49. Thesubstantially horizontal portion 47 of the left pivot member 42, forexample, can extend to the left pivot location 44 substantially forwardalong the frame 11 with respect to the location of the seat 26. Forexample, the horizontal portion 47 can extend to a pivot location 44that is at substantially a mid-point of the overall front-to-rear lengthL of the mower 11. As shown in FIG. 2, a point Z can be located at theintersection of the vertical plane 43 and the horizontal plane 45. Aline drawn from the point Z to the left pivot location 44 can bepositioned at an angle G with respect to the horizontal plane 45. Insome embodiments, the angle G can be within a range of about positive 25degrees to about negative 25 degrees (i.e., the left pivot location 44can be above or below the horizontal plane 45). In one embodiment, theangle G can be about positive 6 to 7 degrees. In this manner, the pivotmembers 42, 46 can allow the seat 26 to move (e.g., substantiallyvertically) with respect to the frame 11 while the suspension unit 50absorbs a portion of shock caused by riding over uneven terrain. Inaddition, the fore and aft movement of the operator can be minimized.

With the pivot members 42, 46 and the suspension unit 50, the seat 26can be supported in a suspended position with respect to the frame 11.In some embodiments, the seat 26 can also be suspended with respect tothe engine deck 32, the pump deck 36, and/or the pump axle 27 of themower 10. As the mower 10 is driven over uneven terrain, the seat 26 canbe allowed to move up and down as the pivot members 42, 46 pivot aboutthe pivot locations 44, 48. The movement of the seat 26 can becontrolled by the suspension unit 50. In some embodiments, the left andright handle controls 22, 24 can be suspended with the seat 26.

According to some embodiments of the invention, FIGS. 3, 4, 6, and 7illustrate that the mower 10 can include one or more leg supports, suchas a left knee rest 52 and a right knee rest 54. Another embodiment of aleg support can include a single support structure spanning the area infront of the operator's thighs, knees, shins, and/or ankles. Yet anotherembodiment of the leg support can include one or more supports thatprovide support to any portion of the operator's thighs, knees, shins,and/or ankles. In some embodiments, the left and right knee rests 52, 54can be coupled to the seat support beam 38 and/or the handle supportbeam 40. When the operator sits on the seat 26, he can rest his knees onthe knee rests 52, 54. The knee rests 52, 54 can be positioned at anangle with respect to the vertical plane 43 and at an angle with respectto the horizontal plane 45. As shown in FIG. 2, the left knee rest 52,for example, can be positioned at an angle E with respect to ahorizontal plane parallel to the horizontal plane 45 (within which theframe 11 is located) and at an angle F with respect to the verticalplane 43. In some embodiments, the angle E can be about 43 to 47 degreesand the complimentary angle F can also be about 43 to 47 degrees.

At least a portion of the operator's body weight can be supported by theknee rests 52, 54 when the operator is sitting on the seat 26 and whenthe operator's knees contact the knee rests 52, 54. In some embodiments,the seat 26 is positioned with respect to the knee rests 52, 54 so thatwhen the operator is sitting on the seat 26 and the operator's knees arecontacting the knee rests 52, 54, an angle between the operator's thighsand the operator's back is about 90 degrees. In some embodiments, theseat 26 can be adjustable up and down the handle support beam 40 inorder to accommodate shorter and taller operators. In one embodiment,the handle support beam 40 can include fixed holes that allow the seat26 to be adjusted. In some embodiments, the seat 26 is positioned withrespect to the knee rests 52, 54 so that when the operator is sitting onthe seat 26 and the operator's knees are contacting the knee rests 52,54, a substantial portion of the operator's body weight is distributedbetween the operator's pelvis and the operator's knees. In someembodiments, the seat 26 is positioned with respect to the knee rests52, 54 so that when the operator is sitting on the seat 26 and theoperator's knees are contacting the knee rest 52, 54, the operator'sback, shoulders, and neck are substantially aligned. In someembodiments, the knee rests 52, 54 are suspended with the seat 26 by thesuspension unit 50. In some embodiments, the knee rests 52, 54 aresuspended with the seat 26 and the handle bars 22, 24.

In one embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 7, a left footpedal 58 and a right foot pedal 60 can be coupled to the pump axle 27 inorder to rotate the pump axle 27. When the operator sits on the seat 26,he can reach the foot pedals 58, 60. In some embodiments, the seat 26 issuspended with respect to the frame 11 but the foot pedals 58, 60 arenot suspended with respect to the frame 11. In one embodiment, one ofthe foot pedals 58, 60 can rotate the pump axle 27 to control the speedof the mower 10, while the other one of the foot pedals 58, 60 canrotate the pump axle 27 to return the mower 10 to neutral. In anotherembodiment, the pump axle 27 can include only one foot pedal 60 that cancontrol return of the transmission to neutral.

As shown in FIG. 6, in some embodiments, a rear portion of the frame 11can include a stop bar 56 positioned slightly behind the rear drivewheels 16, 18. A portion of the mower 10 coupled to the seat 26 caninclude a stop member 62 that engages the stop bar 56 to preventmovement of the seat 26 beyond a lowermost position (as generallydefined by the height of the seat support beams 38). In someembodiments, the stop bar 56 can also prevent the mower 10 from tippingover completely backwards about the rear drive axis 28.

As shown in FIG. 7, in one embodiment, the seat support beams 38 can becoupled to a first seat support plate 64, a second seat support plate66, and a third plate 68 each positioned substantially horizontallybetween the rear drive wheels 16, 18. The first seat support plate 64can be angled to be at a lower elevation toward the front of the mower10 and at a higher elevation toward the back of the mower 10. The secondseat support plate 66 can be coupled to the rear edge of the first seatsupport plate 64 at the higher elevation. The third plate 68 can becoupled to the forward edge of the first seat support plate 64 at thelower elevation. Triangular side walls 70 can be connected to thelateral edges of the first seat support plate 64 and the third plate 68.In this manner, the first seat support plate 64, the second seat supportplate 66, the third plate 68, and the triangular side walls 70 canprovide a foot rest area for the operator's feet to rest when theoperator's feet are not engaging the foot pedals 58, 60.

As also shown in FIG. 7, some embodiments of the mower 10 can include aleft protection plate 72 and a right protection plate 74. The leftprotection plate 72 can be coupled to the left pivot member 42, and theright protection plate 74 can be coupled to the right pivot member 46.As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the protection plates 72, 74 can each extenddownwardly from the pivot members 42, 46 and inwardly from the pivotbars 42, 46, so that the protection plates 72, 74 are closer to the reardrive wheels 16, 18 at the top and further from the rear drive wheels16, 18 at the bottom. The protection plates 72, 74 can also includeflanges 76, 78 coupled to the rear edges of the pivot members 42, 46. Asfurther shown in FIG. 7, in one embodiment, the protection plates 72, 74are not coupled to the second seat support plate 66 or the triangularside walls 70.

FIG. 8 illustrates an operator 80 sitting on the seat 26 in position tooperate the mower 10 according to one embodiment of the invention. Theoperator 80 shown in FIG. 8 represents an adult male in the 95thpercentile for height (i.e., a tall adult male). The operator's knee 81and calf 82 are positioned against the right knee rest 54. The sole ofthe operator's foot 84 is positioned on the first seat support plate 64,while the toe of the operator's foot 84 is positioned against the thirdplate 68. The operator can move his right foot from this position to aposition on the right foot pedal 60 (not shown in FIG. 8) in order torotate the pump axle 27. As also shown in FIG. 8, the vertical plane 43extends upward from and perpendicular to the rear drive axis 28. Asfurther shown in FIG. 8, most of the operator's body, in one embodiment,including his entire back and thighs, can be positioned rearward of thevertical plane 43. In one embodiment, an angle I between the operator'sback and the handle support beam 40 can be about 15 degrees.

In one embodiment, the angle C between the operator's back and thevertical plane 43 can be about 28 degrees. The size of the operator willaffect the position of the operator's body with respect to the verticalplane 43. The human characteristics that will affect the position of theoperator's body include eight, arm length, and knee-to-hip length.

In some embodiments, an operator presence sensor can be coupled to theseat 26. The operator presence sensor can be in electrical communicationwith a safety interlock circuit that shuts down the engine 30 if theoperator is not sitting on the seat 26 in certain circumstances. In oneembodiment, before starting the engine 30, the operator must be sittingon the seat 26. Also, after the engine 30 is running, if the operatortries to stand up or get off the mower 10, the engine 30 canautomatically shut down, unless the hydrostatic pumps 34 are both inneutral, the parking brake is on, and the cutting blades are off. Inaddition, when the engine 30 is running and the hydrostatic pumps 34 arein forward or reverse, if the operator falls off the seat 26 or tries tostand up to operate the mower 10, the engine 30 will automatically shutdown. Finally, the operator cannot attempt to rest one knee on the seat26 with one foot on the first or second seat support plates 64, 66 tooperate the mower 10. If the operator attempts this, he will not be ableto reach the foot pedals 58, 60 in order to control the speed of themower 10 and to return the hydrostatic pumps 34 to neutral. In thismanner, the mower 10 cannot operate if the operator is not sitting onthe seat 26, according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 9-11 illustrate a speed control lever 80 according to anotherembodiment of the invention. The speed control lever 80 can include ahandle 82 supported by two angled bars 84, 86. The angled bars 84, 86can be coupled to a pivoting bar 88. A speed cable mount 90 can becoupled to the pivoting bar 88. A speed cable (not shown) can be coupledbetween the speed cable mount 90 and the hydrostatic pumps 34 in orderto control the speed of the mower 10. The pivoting bar 88 can be coupledto the handle support beam 40 with bearings 92 (such as plastic ½ inchbearings). In some embodiments, the handle controls 23, 25 can also beused as a brake by returning the hydrostatic pumps 34 to neutral toeffectively brake the mower 10.

Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in thefollowing claims.

1. A lawn mower for use by an operator having a body weight and forriding over uneven terrain, the lawn mower comprising: a frame; a seatthat supports at least a portion of the operator's body weight; at leastone handle coupled to the seat; a suspension unit coupled between theframe and the seat; and at least one pivot member having a first portionand a second portion, the first portion coupled to the frame at a pivotlocation forward of the seat, the second portion coupled to the seat,the at least one pivot member allowing the seat and the at least onehandle to move with respect to the frame while the suspension unitabsorbs a portion of shock caused by riding over the uneven terrain. 2.The lawn mower of claim 1 wherein the at least one handle and the seatare suspended with respect to the frame by the suspension unit.
 3. Thelawn mower of claim 1 and further comprising drive wheels, and whereinthe at least one handle controls at least one of direction, speed, andbraking of the drive wheels.
 4. The lawn mower of claim 1 and furthercomprising a transmission, and wherein the at least one trigger is movedto control a state of the transmission.
 5. The lawn mower of claim 4wherein the transmission includes at least one hydrostatic pump.
 6. Thelawn mower of claim 4 and further comprising at least one foot pedal andan axle rotatably coupled to the at least one foot pedal.
 7. The lawnmower of claim 6 wherein the axle is rotatable by the at least one footpedal to at least one of control a speed of the drive wheels and toreturn the transmission to neutral.
 8. The lawn mower of claim 1 andfurther comprising a cutting deck, an engine deck, and a transmissiondeck each independently coupled to the frame.
 9. The lawn mower of claim1 and further comprising at least one seat support beam coupled to theseat and the at least one pivot member.
 10. The lawn mower of claim 9and further comprising at least one handle support beam coupled to theat least one seat support beam.
 11. The lawn mower of claim 10 whereinthe at least one seat support beam and the at least one handle supportbeam are coupled to the suspension unit.
 12. The lawn mower of claim 9and further comprising at least one seat support plate coupled to theseat support beam.
 13. The lawn mower of claim 12 wherein the at leastone seat support plate includes a first angled plate and a second angledplate upon which the operator's feet rest when the operator is sittingon the seat.
 14. The lawn mower of claim 1 wherein the at least onepivot member includes at least one pivot bar shaped to extendsubstantially horizontally and then diagonally rearward and downward.15. The lawn mower of claim 1 and further comprising at least one legsupport.
 16. The lawn mower of claim 15 wherein the at least one legsupport is coupled to the seat, the at least one leg support and theseat being suspended with respect to the frame by the suspension unit.17. The lawn mower of claim 1 and further comprising a stop bar coupledto the frame and a stop member coupled to the seat, the stop barengaging the stop member to prevent movement of the seat beyond alowermost position.
 18. The lawn mower of claim 17 wherein the stop barsubstantially prevents the lawn mower from tipping over backwards. 19.The lawn mower of claim 1 and further comprising at least one foot andleg protection plate coupled to the at least one pivot member.
 20. Thelawn mower of claim 1 and further comprising an operator presence sensorcoupled to the seat.
 21. The lawn mower of claim 20 and furthercomprising a safety interlock circuit in electrical communication withthe operator presence sensor, the safety interlock circuit shutting downan engine of the lawn mower if the operator is not contacting the seat.22. A lawn mower for use by an operator having a body weight, the lawnmower comprising: a frame located within a substantially horizontalplane; a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel positioned along adrive axis, the drive axis located within a substantially verticalplane; a seat positioned at least partially between the first drivewheel and the second drive wheel and at least partially along the driveaxis, the seat being angled with respect to the horizontal plane so thatthe operator's upper torso leans forward at an angle with respect to thevertical plane when the operator is sitting on the seat; and at leastone leg support that is angled with respect to the horizontal plane sothat a portion of the operator's body weight is supported by the atleast one leg support when the operator is sitting on the seat and whenthe operator's legs contact the at least one leg support.
 23. The lawnmower of claim 22 and further comprising a suspension unit, and whereinthe seat and the at least one leg support are suspended with respect tothe frame.
 24. The lawn mower of claim 23 wherein the seat is suspendedwith respect to the frame so that motion of the operator with respect tothe frame when sitting on the seat is substantially vertical.
 25. Thelawn mower of claim 23 and further comprising at least one handlecoupled to the seat and suspended with respect to the frame.
 26. Thelawn mower of claim 23 and further comprising at least one foot restcoupled to the seat and suspended with respect to the frame.
 27. Thelawn mower of claim 22 wherein the seat is positioned with respect tothe at least one leg support so that when the operator is sitting on theseat and the operator's legs are contacting the at least one leg supportan angle between the operator's thighs and the operator's back is about90 degrees.
 28. The lawn mower of claim 22 wherein the seat ispositioned with respect to the at least one leg support so that when theoperator is sitting on the seat and the operator's legs are contactingthe at least one leg support a substantial portion of the operator'sbody weight is distributed between the operator's pelvis and theoperator's knees or shins.
 29. The lawn mower of claim 22 wherein theseat is positioned with respect to the at least one leg support so thatwhen the operator is sitting on the seat and the operator's legs arecontacting the at least one leg support, the operator's back, shoulders,and neck are substantially aligned.
 30. The lawn mower of claim 22 andfurther comprising a cutting deck, and wherein the operator mounts theseat from behind the cutting deck and from substantially behind thefirst drive wheel and the second drive wheel.
 31. A lawn mower for useby an operator having a body weight and for riding over uneven terrain,the lawn mower comprising: a frame; an operator station that supports atleast a portion of the operator's body weight; at least one handlecoupled to the operator station; a suspension unit coupled between theframe and the operator station; and at least one pivot member having afirst portion and a second portion, the first portion coupled to theframe at a pivot location forward of the operator station, the secondportion coupled to the operator station, the at least one pivot memberallowing the operator station and the at least one handle to move withrespect to the frame while the suspension unit absorbs a portion ofshock caused by riding over the uneven terrain.
 32. The lawn mower ofclaim 31 wherein the at least one handle and the operator station aresuspended with respect to the frame by the suspension unit.
 33. The lawnmower of claim 31 and further comprising drive wheels, and wherein theat least one handle controls at least one of direction, speed, andbraking of the drive wheels.
 34. The lawn mower of claim 31 and furthercomprising a transmission, and wherein the at least one trigger is movedto control a state of the transmission.
 35. The lawn mower of claim 34wherein the transmission includes at least one hydrostatic pump.
 36. Thelawn mower of claim 34 and further comprising at least one foot pedaland an axle rotatably coupled to the at least one foot pedal.
 37. Thelawn mower of claim 36 wherein the axle is rotatable by the at least onefoot pedal to at least one of control a speed of the drive wheels and toreturn the transmission to neutral.
 38. The lawn mower of claim 31 andfurther comprising a cutting deck, an engine deck, and a transmissiondeck each independently coupled to the frame.
 39. The lawn mower ofclaim 31 and further comprising at least one support beam coupled to theoperator station and the at least one pivot member.
 40. The lawn mowerof claim 39 and further comprising at least one handle support beamcoupled to the at least one support beam.
 41. The lawn mower of claim 40wherein the at least one support beam and the at least one handlesupport beam are coupled to the suspension unit.
 42. The lawn mower ofclaim 39 and further comprising at least one support plate coupled tothe at least one support beam.
 43. The lawn mower of claim 42 whereinthe at least one support plate includes a first angled plate and asecond angled plate upon which the operator's feet rest when theoperator is positioned in the operator station.
 44. The lawn mower ofclaim 31 wherein the at least one pivot member includes at least onepivot bar shaped to extend substantially horizontally and thendiagonally rearward and downward.
 45. The lawn mower of claim 31 andfurther comprising at least one leg support.
 46. The lawn mower of claim45 wherein the at least one leg support is coupled to the operatorstation, the at least one leg support and the operator station beingsuspended with respect to the frame by the suspension unit.
 47. The lawnmower of claim 31 and further comprising a stop bar coupled to the frameand a stop member coupled to the operator station, the stop bar engagingthe stop member to prevent movement of the operator station beyond alowermost position.
 48. The lawn mower of claim 47 wherein the stop barsubstantially prevents the lawn mower from tipping over backwards. 49.The lawn mower of claim 31 and further comprising at least one foot andleg protection plate coupled to the at least one pivot member.
 50. Thelawn mower of claim 31 and further comprising an operator presencesensor coupled to the operator station.
 51. The lawn mower of claim 50and further comprising a safety interlock circuit in electricalcommunication with the operator presence sensor, the safety interlockcircuit shutting down an engine of the lawn mower if the operator is notcontacting the operator station.
 52. A lawn mower for use by an operatorhaving a body weight, the lawn mower comprising: a frame located withina substantially horizontal plane; a first drive wheel and a second drivewheel positioned along a drive axis, the drive axis located within asubstantially vertical plane, the first drive wheel and the second drivewheel being independently controlled to provide a substantiallyzero-turn radius for the lawn mower; and a seat positioned at leastpartially between the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel andat least partially along the drive axis, the seat including a rearportion positioned higher than a front portion in order to be declinedwith respect to the horizontal plane so that the operator's upper torsoleans forward at an angle with respect to the vertical plane when theoperator is sitting on the seat.
 53. The lawn mower of claim 52 andfurther comprising at least one leg support that is angled with respectto the horizontal plane so that a portion of the operator's body weightis supported by the at least one leg support when the operator issitting on the seat and when the operator's legs contact the at leastone leg support.
 54. The lawn mower of claim 53 and further comprising asuspension unit, and wherein the seat and the at least one leg supportare suspended with respect to the frame.
 55. The lawn mower of claim 54wherein the seat is suspended with respect to the frame so that motionof the operator with respect to the frame when sitting on the seat issubstantially vertical.
 56. The lawn mower of claim 53 and furthercomprising at least one handle coupled to the seat and suspended withrespect to the frame.
 57. The lawn mower of claim 53 and furthercomprising at least one foot rest coupled to the seat and suspended withrespect to the frame.
 58. The lawn mower of claim 53 wherein the seat ispositioned with respect to the at least one leg support so that when theoperator is sitting on the seat and the operator's legs are contactingthe at least one leg support an angle between the operator's thighs andthe operator's back is greater than about 90 degrees.
 59. The lawn mowerof claim 53 wherein the seat is positioned with respect to the at leastone leg support so that when the operator is sitting on the seat and theoperator's legs are contacting the at least one leg support asubstantial portion of the operator's body weight is distributed betweenthe operator's pelvis and the operator's knees.
 60. The lawn mower ofclaim 53 wherein the seat is positioned with respect to the at least oneleg support so that when the operator is sitting on the seat and theoperator's legs are contacting the at least one leg support, theoperator's back, shoulders, and neck are substantially aligned.
 61. Thelawn mower of claim 52 and further comprising a cutting deck, andwherein the operator mounts the seat from behind the cutting deck andfrom substantially behind the first drive wheel and the second drivewheel.
 62. A lawn mower for use by an operator, the lawn mowercomprising: a frame; an engine coupled to the frame; a first drive wheeland a second drive wheel positioned along a drive axis, the drive axislocated within a substantially vertical plane; and at least one handleprojecting forward from the vertical plane and projecting over at leasta rear portion of the engine so that the operator's upper torso leansforward to cross the vertical plane while operating the lawn mower. 63.The lawn mower of claim 62 wherein the at least one handle projectsforward at an angle with respect to the vertical plane so that theoperator's upper torso leans forward at an angle with respect to thevertical plane.
 64. The lawn mower of claim 62 wherein the operator'scenter of gravity is approximately within the vertical plane.
 65. Thelawn mower of claim 62 wherein the operator's center of gravity isforward from the vertical plane.
 66. The lawn mower of claim 62 whereinthe at least one handle is suspended with respect to the frame by asuspension unit.
 67. The lawn mower of claim 62 wherein the at least onehandle is positioned so that the operator's back, shoulders, and neckare substantially aligned.